Identidades estéticas das infâncias e crianças negras nas obras literárias “meu crespo é de rainha” e “amoras”

Abstract

The notions of childhood and children as we know them today have not always existed; they have been constructed and modified historically. This process has not been uniform for all of them, especially when we consider the differences and inequalities produced by social markers of race, gender/sexuality and ethnicity (ARIÈS, 1986; ABRAMOWICZ & OLIVEIRA, 2012). This monograph aims to present the aesthetic identities of black children and childhoods in the children's literature books "Meu crespo é de rainha", written by black activist Bell Hooks (2018) and "Amoras" by black Brazilian rapper Emicida (2018). The books were chosen because they were part of the last two PNLD Guides (National Book and Teaching Material Program, 2018 and 2022), aimed at Early Childhood Education. In 1996, Law No. 8.069, the LDB (Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education) regulated and defined Early Childhood Education as a stage of basic education, organized into nurseries (children up to 3 years old) and preschools (children aged 4 to 6 years old). However, the regulation of Early Childhood Education as a modality in Brazil has historically presented gaps and absences in the approach to ethnicracial issues (SOUZA & CARVALHO, 2022). Methodologically, this work was constructed through a bibliographic survey of academic productions on the subject (theses, dissertations, articles and books) and comparative content analysis of the aforementioned literary books (SEVERINO, 1941). We believe that the didactic and pedagogical choices we make in the school environment - especially in Early Childhood Education, where the curriculum is flexible and can be shaped at the discretion of the class teacher - can have an impact and help to build a positive sense of difference and identity, focusing on children's singularities. On the other hand, when differences are treated in a pejorative way, they reinforce the racist structure by praising the traits of whiteness as an aesthetic model to be followed (SILVA, 1999; BENTO, 2012; CAVALLEIRO, 2012; TRINIDAD, 2012). We also believe that the comparative analyses of the works portray, in a playful, precise and easy-to-understand way, the different beauties present in black children. Books on cultural and racial diversity should be used in schools to guide the development of didactic projects and/or pedagogical practices throughout the school year, promoting anti-racist education from early childhood onwards.